Wire snipping tool



Sept. 6, 1960 E. M. HOLMES 2,951,288

WIRE SNIPPING TOOL Filed May 1, 1959 INVENTOR. EDWARD M. HOLMES ATTORNEY2,951,288 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 WIRE SNIPPING TOOL Edward M. Holmes,Bridgeport, Cnn., assignor to Roberts Machine Co. Inc., Bridgeport,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,384

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-240) The present invention relates to an improved wiresnipping tool, particularly for use in the snipping of wires in hard toget at places, such as in the Wiring of radio and television sets, whereit is difiicult or impossible to reach the wire connections withconventional cutting pliers.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character ofsimple and inexpensive construction, wherein a minimum number of partsis employed, and which may be quickly assembled or disassembled forreplacement or sharpening of the cutting elements of the tool.

A further object is to provide manipulating means for actuating thecutting elements disposed in such relation to the handle that maximumforce may be applied to the cutting elements by pressure of the thumb ofthe hand holding the tool.

Another object is to provide a tool wherein the cutting elements are sodisposed that in their open position they may be accurately guided intoengagement with a wire to be cut by orienting such cutting elements inrelation to the handle, so that the position in which the handle is heldwill determine the position of the cutting elements.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

j In the drawings:

,Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wire snipping tool according to theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in verticalsection, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing the cutting elements in their openwire-receiving position; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation showing the cutting elements in their closedwire-cutting position.

Referring to the drawings, the wire snipping tool, according to theillustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention shown therein,comprises a pistol grip handle 10 disposed at a downwardly andrearwardly inclined angle and provided at its upper end with a forwardlydisposed upwardly extending mounting head 11 having a transversevertically disposed forward face 12 and a transverse vertically disposedrearward face "13, the latter extending upwardly from the forward end ofa horizontal transversely extending upper end surface 14 of the handleto define a right angular recess 15 in which the cutting elementactuating means is received, as will presently more fully appear.

The mounting head 11 is provided with a horizontal longitudinallyextending passage 16 in which the rearward end portion of a cylindricaltubular member 17 is fitted and rigidly secured, as by brazing the tubeto the mounting head, the rearward end of the tube being flush with therearward surface 13 of the head and opening to the recess 15. The tubemay be of any suitable length,

. depending upon the particular type of work to be performed, i.e., itmay be of the order of about four inches for normal use, or it may besubstantially longer where the tool is intended for use in structureswhere such length is desirable to reach the Wires to be snipped.

Upon the forward end of the tube there is integrally formed a forwardlyprojecting cutting element 18 having a straight cutting edge 19 disposedsubstantially parallel to the axis of the tube and outwardly ofisettherefrom. Within the tube 17 there is rotatably engaged a rod 20 havingenlarged diameter bearing portions 21 and 22 adjacent its ends, so thatthe rod is rotatable within the tube with a minimum of frictionalresistance.

The forward end of the bearing portion 21 is substantially flush withthe forward end of the tube 17, and a forwardly projecting cuttingelement 23 is formed thereon in normally opposed spaced relation to thecutting element 18. The cutting element 23 is provided with a flat innersurface 24 terminating in its upper end in a straight cutting edge 25,the surface 24 being parallel to the axis of the rod and offsetoutwardly therefrom, so that, in the normal open position of the tool,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a vertical space is provided between thecutting elements in substantially centered relation to the axis of therod to receive a Wire to be cut.

An integral stud end 26 of slightly less diameter than the bearingportion 22 extends rearwardly therefrom into the recess 15, and hasrigidly mounted thereon a manipulating thumb lever 27. This thumb leveris preferably formed of sheet metal bent to shape, and its body portionis disposed in a vertical plane normal to the axis of the rod 20. In itslower portion there is provided a flanged hole 28 fitted upon the studend 26 with the inner end of theflange abutting the shoulder formed bythe outer end of the bearing portion 22, which is substantially flushwith the inner end of the tube 17 and the vertical surface of themounting head '11, so that the end of the flange limits the position ofthe rod 20 against forward movement within the tube 17. The thumb leveris rigidly secured to the stud end 26 as by brazing the parts together.

-A thumb engaging pad 29 is bent at right angles from the upper portionof the thumb lever, and is disposed in an inclined plane for convenientengagement byjthe thumb of the hand holding the tool, as will presentlymore fully appear. At its lower end the thumb lever is provided adjacentone side edge with a position limiting lug 30 adapted to engage thehorizontal surface 14 of the handle in the normal open wire-receivingposition of the cutting elements, as seen in Figs. 1-5, and the otherside edge of the lever being adapted to engage the upper surface 14 inthe closed wire-cutting position of the cutting elements, as seen inFig. 6.

The stud 26 projects rearwardly from the thumb lever and has engagedthereon the coils of a hair-pin spring 32, one leg 32 of the springhaving a hook end 33 which is hooked over the edge of the thumb lever atthe opposite side from the thumb pad 29, and the other leg 34 beingextended in downwardly inclined position beneath the stud intoengagement with one side edge of the horizontal surface 14 where itseats in a positioning notch 35. The combined action of the hook 33 andthe notch 35 retains the spring upon the stud 26, and also restrains therod 20 against rearward movement in the tube 17, so that in order toremove the rod it is only necessary to disengage the spring leg 34 fromthe notch 35 and thereupon draw the rod rearwardly from the tube.

In assembling the rod with the tube it is engaged therein from therearward end of the tube, its forwardly moved position being limited byengagement of the top flange 28 against the rearward end of the tube.Thereupon the spring is engaged upon the stud, its end 33 is hooked overthe edge of the thumb lever, and its leg 34 is engaged in the notch 35,thus retaining the rod against rearward movement. The spring normallypositions the thumb lever in a substantially vertical position, so thatthe thumb of the hand gripping the handle may be engaged in a naturalcomfortable position upon the thumb pad 29. In this position the cuttingelements are open, so that a wire to be cut may be engaged in the spacebetween them. Thereupon the thumb lever is pressed downwardly by thethumb to the position as seen in Fig. 6, causing the cutting edgecarried at the end of the rod 20 to be rotated past the cutting edge 19carried by the fixed tube 17 to thus snip the wire. Upon release by thethumb, the thumb lever is moved by the spring to its normal verticalposition, at the same time moving the cutting elements to open position.

What is claimed is:

1. (In a wire shipping tool of the character described, a handleincluding a hand grip portion, and a mounting head at the upper end ofsaid hand grip portion having forward and rearward surfaces disposedtransversely of said hand grip portion and having a longitudinal passageextending therethrough and opening to said rearward surface, said handgrip portion having an upper end surface extending rearwardly from saidrearward surface of said mounting head and forming therewith a recess,an interiorly cylindrical tube having its rearward end engaged andsecured in said passage of said mounting head, a forwardly projectingfixed cutting element integral with the forward end of said tube, a rodrotatably engaged in said tube having a rearward end portion projectingfrom the rearward end of said tube into said recess, a forwardlyprojecting movable cutting element integral with the forward end of saidrod having an open position normally laterally spaced from said fixedcutting element and a closed position wherein through rotation of saidrod within said tube it cooperates with said fixed cutting element tosnip a wire engaged between said cutting elements, a thumb levernon-rotatably secured upon said rearward end portion of said rod inabutting relation to the rearward end of said tube to restrain forwardmovement of said rod in said tube and adapted for movement between anopen position in which said movable cutting element is in open positionand a closed position in which said movable cutting element is in closedposition, stop lug means carried by said thumb lever engaged with saidupper end surface of said hand grip portion in said open position,spring means carried by said rod normally yieldably retaining said leverin said open position, and retaining means carried by said handle andremovably engaged by said spring means to restrain rearward movement ofsaid rod in said tube.

2. In a wire snipping tool of the character described, a handleincluding a hand grip portion, and a mounting head at the upper end ofsaid hand grip portion having forward and rearward surfaces disposedtransversely of said hand grip portion and having a longitudinal passageextending therethrough and opening to said rearward surface, said handgrip portion having an upper end surface extending rearwardly from saidrearward surface of said mounting head and forming therewith aright-angular recess,.an interiorly cylindrical tube having its rearwardend engaged and secured in said passage of said mounting head, aforwardly projecting fixed cutting element integral with the forward endof said tube, a rod rotatably engaged in said tube having a rearward endportion projecting from the rearward end of said tube into said recess,a forwardly projecting movable cutting element integral with the forwardend of said rod having an open position normally laterally spaced fromsaid fixed cutting element and a closed position wherein throughrotation of said rod within said tube it cooperates with said fixedcutting element to snip a wire engaged between said cutting elements, athumb lever non-rotatably secured upon said rearward end portion of saidrod in abutting relation to the rearward end of said tube to restrainforward movement of said rod in said tube and adapted for movementbetween an open position in which said movable cutting element is inopen position and a closed position in which said movable cuttingelement is in closed position, stop lug means carried by said thumblever engaged with said upper end surface of said hand grip portion insaid open position, a stud portion carried by said rod and projectingrearwardly from said thumb lever, and a hairpin spring having a coilportion engaged upon said stud, a first leg hooked about an edge of saidlever and a second leg engaged with said upper end surface of said handgrip portion to normally yieldably retain said lever in said openposition, said hand grip portion having a notch in Which said second legof said spring is removably seated to restrain rearward movement of saidrod in said tube.

Alpert Oct. 23, 1945 =Rogal Oct. 23, 1956

